11 of 14White examples of the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet will be hard to keep clean.

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12 of 14The Cobra Jet features a twin turbo setup.

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13 of 14The Ford Mustang Cobra Jet prepares for launch.

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14 of 14The Ford Mustang Cobra Jet will make use of twin turbos.

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Ford is examining a different kind of menace for the drag strip with a twin-turbo Cobra Jet concept revealed this week at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

It carries the usual presence of a Mustang outfitted for drag competition—but this Snake has a very different kind of bite. The concept features a 5.0-liter V8 capable of propelling the racer to an 8-second quarter mile sprint.

Don't blink. This concept uses two small turbos, the first time a factory-backed turn-key drag car has ever used the technology at Ford.

Engineers say the size of the forced-induction units and low internal friction compensate for turbo lag. The turbos are derivatives of the setup used in the Focus ST, which allows the Cobra Jet to qualify for competition in NHRA stock classes.

“We have a standard of what we deliver with Cobra Jet,” said Jesse Kershaw, Ford drag racing competition manager.

The turbo is mean to draw a comparison to Ford's EcoBoost technology which powers many vehicles in its lineup. But, EcoBoost uses direct injection, the Cobra Jet does not.

Ford wouldn't reveal the horsepower and maintains this is still a concept. But from the tires to the roll cage to roar of the turbo V8, this thing is real. If given the green-light, Ford stands ready to make 50 of them a year, and there's even a placeholder number for it in the Ford Racing catalog.

Meanwhile, the Cobra Jet also sports Ford's black-and-blue racing stripes. The configuration will be used around the world to signify factory-backed racing teams. The 2013 Fusion will wear the scheme at the Daytona 500, but Fords competing in Grand-Am, NHRA, Rally America and others will also adopt it.

The 2012 SEMA show takes place Oct. 30 through Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show is a leading indicator of trends in technology and customization for the automotive industry. Autoweek will be there with the latest news, photos and video, and we'll bring it all to you right here at autoweek.com.